SF Ammonia
Encyclopedia
SF Ammonia is a steam powered
railway ferry on Tinnsjø that connected Rjukanbanen
with Tinnosbanen
, Norway
. The ferry was one of the four railway ferries on Tinnsjø
that was used by Norsk Hydro
to transport chemicals from Rjukan
to the port in Skien
. The ferry is one of four remaining steam powered railway ferry in the world, and can still be seen docked at Mæl.
, in addition to 150 passengers. She has two steam engines each of 300 kW (400 hp), and can achieve a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h).
; when she was ordered in 1928 the two older ferries Rjukanfos
and Hydro
were too small. She was in reality an alternative to extending Hydro by at least twenty meters. Diesel traction was considered, but at the time diesel was not optimal for ships. She was built by A/S Moss Værtft & Dokk at the docks on Tinnsjø and launched on 18 June 1929 and cost NOK 932,000 to build, of which Norsk Transport paid NOK 829,485.
She quickly became the main ferry; in 1939 she was in service 340 days, while Hydro operated 32 days and Rjukanfos 18. After the sinking
of Hydro in 1944, Ammonia had to do the main hauling across the lake, and by September 1944 she was performing eight round trips each day. In 1951 the coal
boiler
s were replaced with petroleum-fueled ones.
When the diesel
-powered MF Storegut
was launched in 1956 Ammonia was down-graded to a reserve ship, mainly serving when Storegut was for repairs. In the 1970s Norsk Transport considered rebuilding her to diesel-power She was taken out of service when the railways ceased operating in 1991, but remains docked at Mæl in operational condition.
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
railway ferry on Tinnsjø that connected Rjukanbanen
Rjukanbanen
The Rjukan Line , at first called the Vestfjorddal Line, was a Norwegian railway line running through Vestfjorddalen between Mæl and Rjukan in Telemark. The railway's main purpose was to transport chemicals from Norsk Hydro's plant at Rjukan to the port at Skien, in addition to passenger transport...
with Tinnosbanen
Tinnosbanen
The Tinnos Line was a 30 km Norwegian railway line that went from Tinnoset to Notodden in Telemark. The railway was part of the transport chain used to transport fertilizer from Norsk Hydro's factory in Rjukan to the harbour in Skien. The railway opened in 1909 and was closed when the plant closed...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The ferry was one of the four railway ferries on Tinnsjø
Tinnsjø railway ferry
Tinnsjø railway ferry was a Norwegian railway ferry service on the lake Tinnsjå that connected the railways of Rjukanbanen and Tinnosbanen. The long ferry trip made it possible for Norsk Hydro to transport its fertilizer from the plant at Rjukan to the port in Skien...
that was used by Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro ASA is a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, headquartered in Oslo. Hydro is the fourth largest integrated aluminium company worldwide. It has operations in some 40 countries around the world and is active on all continents. The Norwegian state holds a 43.8 percent...
to transport chemicals from Rjukan
Rjukan
Rjukan is a town and the administrative center of Tinn municipality in Telemark . It is situated in Vestfjorddalen, between Møsvatn and Tinnsjå, and got its name after Rjukanfossen west of the town. The Tinn municipality council granted township status for Rjukan in 1996. The town has 3 386...
to the port in Skien
Skien
' is a city and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Skien. Skien is also the administrative centre of Telemark county....
. The ferry is one of four remaining steam powered railway ferry in the world, and can still be seen docked at Mæl.
Specifications
Ammonia is capable of carrying 17 railway cars, totalling 630 tonnes, on 120 metres of track — double-track standard gaugeStandard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, in addition to 150 passengers. She has two steam engines each of 300 kW (400 hp), and can achieve a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h).
History
Ammonia was the third railway ferry built for Norsk TransportNorsk Transport
Norsk Transport AS was a railway- and shipping company responsible for the transport of chemicals from Norsk Hydro Rjukan. A subsidiary of Norsk Hydro, the company was founded in 1907 and operated until 1991....
; when she was ordered in 1928 the two older ferries Rjukanfos
SF Rjukanfoss
SF Rjukanfoss, prior to 1946 named Rjukanfos, was steam-powered railway ferry that operated between Mæl and Tinnoset on the lake Tinnsjø, Norway. Owned by Norsk Transport, she was launched in 1909, expanded in 1946 and decommissioned in 1969....
and Hydro
SF Hydro
SF Hydro was a Norwegian steam powered railway ferry that operated on Tinnsjø in Telemark. The ferry operated between Mæl and Tinnoset between 1914 and 1944, connecting the two railways Rjukanbanen and Tinnosbanen. The railway was used to transport raw materials and fertilizer from Norsk Hydro's...
were too small. She was in reality an alternative to extending Hydro by at least twenty meters. Diesel traction was considered, but at the time diesel was not optimal for ships. She was built by A/S Moss Værtft & Dokk at the docks on Tinnsjø and launched on 18 June 1929 and cost NOK 932,000 to build, of which Norsk Transport paid NOK 829,485.
She quickly became the main ferry; in 1939 she was in service 340 days, while Hydro operated 32 days and Rjukanfos 18. After the sinking
Norwegian heavy water sabotage
The Norwegian heavy water sabotage was a series of actions undertaken by Norwegian saboteurs during World War II to prevent the German nuclear energy project from acquiring heavy water , which could be used to produce nuclear weapons...
of Hydro in 1944, Ammonia had to do the main hauling across the lake, and by September 1944 she was performing eight round trips each day. In 1951 the coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
s were replaced with petroleum-fueled ones.
When the diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
-powered MF Storegut
MF Storegut
MF Storegut is a railway ferry that operated between Tinnoset and Mæl on the lake Tinnsjø, Norway. She was launched on 25 May 1956 and taken out of service after 4 July 1991 when the Tinnsjø railway ferry ceased operations. As of 2008 Storegut is docked at Tinnoset and is used for chartered...
was launched in 1956 Ammonia was down-graded to a reserve ship, mainly serving when Storegut was for repairs. In the 1970s Norsk Transport considered rebuilding her to diesel-power She was taken out of service when the railways ceased operating in 1991, but remains docked at Mæl in operational condition.